Flame And Fortune
Sun Herald
Sunday January 10, 1999
Is it true there's more than one Olympic torch?
It certainly is. Each host city designs its own Olympic torch reflecting the theme of those particular Games. Added to that, there is not simply just one torch for the Sydney 2000 Games. There will be more than 12,000 official Sydney 2000 torches: around 10,000 for the relay, another 1000 for the Paralympics, and 1000 commemorative torches, some of which will end up on show in places such as the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the International Olympic Committee is based. As was introduced in Atlanta, relay runners will be able to buy their torches for $300 after the relay has been run. During the relay, it's the flame that is passed from runner to runner, not the torch.
How will the flame travel from Olympia to Australia?
In a plane, of course. The flame will be lit in the traditional way at Olympia using the sun's rays and a large silver dish. From there it travels in a 10-day relay to Athens where it will be passed over to the Australian Torch Relay Team, who will be responsible for the flame until it reaches the opening ceremony. There are several legs of the relay during which the flame will travel by air in a miner's safety lantern (yes, it's true). However, as to how the Sacred Flame will travel underwater during the Great Barrier Reef leg of the relay - don't ask. As yet, torch project manager Joseph Buhagiar and his team of designers and engineers from the University of Adelaide haven't quite figured out how they're going to do that.
What does the torch look like? Who designed it?
Well, that's top secret, although we do know a Sydney company called Blue Sky Designs won the tender competition for the design. There are no parameters set down by the IOC for the design of the Olympic Torch, so Games organisers have complete authority to come up with a torch that meets their vision for the 2000 Games. Buhagiar says that tenders for the torch design contract were asked to design a torch that reflected the spirit of Sydney, of the athlete, of the Olympics, of Australia and above all, the spirit of the new millennium. "I was very keen on using what I like to call the 'new millennium generation'," he says. Torches from previous Olympics are all variations of the traditional baton-with-a-flame-on-top deal, whereas the initial designs for the Sydney 2000 torch show it to have taken a sharp-edged design, not unlike an Ottoman sabre. Made of stainless steel and aluminium, it will be about 70cm long and at this stage, will weigh less than 1.5kg.
What happens if the torch is dropped?
Depends on how quickly it is picked up. If the torch is allowed to lie on the ground for more than 10 seconds the flame will extinguish itself. If the torch bearer escort manages to pick it up within the 10-second time frame, the relay simply continues. If the flame goes out immediately the torch is dropped, a new torch will be lit from one of the back-up flames and given to the bearer. Technically the torch could be relit, but because there is no way of telling exactly what happened to the torch to make it go out, it's safer to use a new one. There is no reason to expect the torch to break when it is dropped, but if it does, the flame will extinguish itself.
Can the flame blow out?
The biggest problem with controlling any flame is airflow. Scientists at Adelaide University have designed the combination of the burner and fuel canister to stay alight in all types of weather. Gusts of wind up to 65kmh, rain, snow, hail - nothing is putting this baby out (well, almost nothing). Weather patterns along the proposed relay route were studied and an environmental profile drawn up and included in the torch design specification. Joseph Buhagiar says it would take gusts of wind travelling at around 100kmh to blow the torch out, and even then the gust would still have to be travelling at the correct angle.
What happens if the torch flame does go out?
Well, they're not going back to Olympia to light it again, that's for sure. The torch relay team, in addition to being responsible for the well-being of the relay flame, will also carry 10 miner's safety lanterns, each containing a flame lit from the original Olympic flame. If some freak gust of wind does happen to blow the torch out, the runner will be given a new torch with a new sacred flame lit from one of the back-ups.
Will the flame be consistent in size, colour and brightness?
It makes sense that the flame has to be very visible. However, the more oxygen you put into a flame, the more efficiently it burns and the bluer in colour it becomes, to the point of invisibility. Yet you need an efficient, powerful flame to ensure it won't go out. To combat this problem, the torch's fuel canister will release a lot more fuel than is actually necessary to keep the flame alight, producing a big, relatively yellow flame with an efficient, hot core. The gas will remain in the hot flow of the flame, burning progressively along its length, which makes it less susceptible to the influence of oxygen. This type of release of gas also helps to keep the flame a consistent size. Buhagiar estimates the flame will stay the same size in 90 per cent of the environmental conditions the torch is expected to encounter.
What will stop the torch from overheating or burning the torch bearer?
Common sense. The aerodynamics of the torch body have been designed to keep the flame as far away from the bearer's hand as possible when held correctly. To be affected by the heat of the flame, the torch bearer would need to hold the torch within 10cm of the flame, or place his/her hand directly in the flame.
When can I see it?
The Olympic torch for the Sydney 2000 Games will be unveiled in March this year.
© 1999 Sun Herald